KidsCan Provides 22500 Meals a Week for Kiwi Kids in Poverty

KidsCan Now Providing 22,500 Meals a Week for Kiwi Kids in Poverty

2013 will be the biggest year yet for children’s charity KidsCan. Supported by the community, businesses, government, and thousands of individual donors, KidsCan has been providing support for the growing number of disadvantaged children in our schools for the past seven years.

Julie Chapman - KidsCan Founder and CEO says “More than 4000 people now regularly donate $15 a month which provides Kiwi children in need with a raincoat, shoes, two pairs of socks and a daily meal at school, with 100% of the money going to the kids. This, combined with funds raised in 2012 by Campbell Live and More FM, has enabled KidsCan to expand its support in 2013 to ensure thousands more disadvantaged children can arrive at school warm, dry and well fed”.

276 low decile primary and intermediate schools will receive raincoats, shoes and socks this year and in term one, KidsCan will also provide 22,500 meals a week for children who experience regular food insecurity. The number of schools receiving KidsCan programmes will increase again in term two to 338 to meet the needs of children still urgently in need of assistance.

“We are thrilled that we are able to expand our programmes, however there are still thousands of children who need our support.” “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that no Kiwi child in a decile 1-4 school goes cold, hungry and without the basics most of us take for granted” “It’s not acceptable that so many New Zealand children struggle to keep up in class and suffer low self-esteem because their families are unable to make ends meet.” says Chapman.

Massey University evaluations of KidsCan initiatives have consistently found that providing food and clothing for less fortunate children has increased their school attendance and ability to participate in class whilst reducing social issues such as bullying and theft.

KidsCan is urging more caring Kiwis to visit its website and join the ‘In Our Own Backyard’ programme to support a Kiwi child by donating just $15 a month (just 50 cents a day). “Our kids are our future and society will benefit as a whole if we show our commitment to the health and well-being of all New Zealand children right now,” says Chapman.

For more information on KidsCan please visit www.kidscan.org.nz

ENDS

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